As the 90s transitioned into the 00s, Dido was just about the biggest thing in pop music.
Or maybe that’s just a matter of perspective; my social circle included a lot of white women in their early twenties at that time, and holy smokes did that demographic looove Dido. It was as if some music industry focus group had picked out the best qualities of Sarah McLachlan and Portishead, creating the ideal musical icon who could lead this generation of women into adulthood.
I liked her music a lot too, but never enough to purchase it or seek out concert tickets. I was more of a “borrow the CD from my female roommates” type of fan. Nonetheless, every 5-7 years I’ll hear one of her songs by accident and think, “oh yeah, she was really good.”
Dido has released plenty of new work in the two decades since she was at peak popularity, and it’s all worth revisiting. But for me the best will always be this one.
What makes this a beautiful song:
1. The percussion is great; from the opening bongo (who opens a pop song with four bars of bongo?) to the main drum loop, sampled from this classic funk song.
2. The change from minor to major is a stroke of brilliance. Like many people, I knew this song first from its use as the backbone to Eminem’s “Stan” which stays decidedly dark and minor throughout. So the shift in Dido’s original song always comes as a slight (and pleasant) surprise.
3. Although her rhymes are suspect (rhyming “at all” with “at all,” and “last” with “towel”) I give her a free pass on that because her voice is just so darn soothing. The way she flips so gently from chest to head voice is so comforting. It’s the vocal equivalent of flipping over the pillow to get to the cool side.
Recommended listening activity:
Painting your nails with your roommate.